Yiddish

noun

Yid·​dish ˈyi-dish How to pronounce Yiddish (audio)
: a High German language written in Hebrew characters that is spoken by Jews and descendants of Jews of central and eastern European origin
Yiddish adjective

Examples of Yiddish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ad, in Yiddish, appeared on page two of the May 17, 1946, edition of the Forward, the nation’s largest Jewish newspaper. Andrew Silverstein, Washington Post, 22 July 2024 The principal spoke some Yiddish so my mother was able to communicate with him. Linda Chase, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2024 His parents, Morris and Estelle (Lichtenstein) Rothenberg, operated a dry goods store in the Bronx, where Jerome grew up speaking Yiddish at home. Clay Risen, New York Times, 5 May 2024 Harry Pila, an athletic teenager, spoke fluent French, Flemish, and Yiddish, plus a smattering of Polish. Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Yiddish 

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish yidish, short for yidish daytsh, literally, Jewish German, from Middle High German jüdisch diutsch, from jüdisch Jewish (from Jude Jew) + diutsch German

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Yiddish was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near Yiddish

Cite this Entry

“Yiddish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Yiddish. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Yiddish

noun
Yid·​dish ˈyid-ish How to pronounce Yiddish (audio)
: a language that began among the Jews of eastern Europe and is based on German and written in the Hebrew alphabet
Yiddish adjective
Etymology

from Yiddish yidish, a shortened form of yidish daytsh, literally "Jewish German (language)," derived from early German jüdisch "Jewish" and diutsch "the German language"

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